Many network devices include a bridge interface to translate data from one protocol format to another, route data, or perform other processing. For example, a bridge interface may be implemented to convert data packet formats between networks.
As another example, a bridge interface may be used to translate data formats between a network and a computing system. For ease of explanation, the embodiments and examples are primarily described with reference to a network bridge configured to provide an interface between an optical network and a computing system connected thereto.
To reduce the time and investment required for design and debugging, bridge interfaces may be implemented using programmable integrated circuits (IC), which include a number of logic and routing resources that may be configured to implement a circuit design. Programmable ICs allow a circuit design to be implemented, tested, and revised without realizing the circuit design as an application specific IC (ASIC). In this manner, development time and costs may be reduced.
Bridge interfaces often buffer data packets in a memory for efficient processing. Conventional bridge interfaces use off-chip memory (e.g., DRAM) to implement data buffering. However, for high transmission speed applications (e.g., 400 Gbps full duplex), such as those employed in optical networks, there are often not enough pins in a programmable IC package to compensate for reductions in throughput posed by access conflicts to the memory.
One or more embodiments may address one or more of the above issues.